Given the apparent success of the Prophet 08, I really have to wonder why Alesis haven't picked up the Andromeda and done more with it.

If you look at the Prophet '08 they've rolled out the tech into a whole range of synths:

Prophet '08 keyboard
Prophet '08 module
Tetra (4 voice version in a tiny case)
Morpho (1 voice version in a tiny case)
Morpho Keyboard (same as Morpho but with a 3 octave keyboard)

The Andromeda is a really impressive machine but think of what else they could do with it.

There's nothing to stop them making 8, 4 or 2 voice versions with simpler cases. They could even do a 1 voice version with the dud chips (the voice chips have 2 voices but some will come out with one dead).

They could easily cut down the number of knobs and use virtual knobs on a touch screen (cheap now thinks to the iPad).

I'm sure they've noticed the success of Dave Smith's instruments, but I wonder why they haven't brought the Andromeda program back to life.
Granted it wouldn't be easy but it'd certainly not be impossible.

If Alesis was still around, perhaps that would be happening. But when Alesis went bankrupt, from what I understood, much of the people involved in the Andromeda left. So it would be a lot, lot harder to start over.

in a way they did a bit. after all the ion and micron where developped.
although digital and not analog, i see a lot of similarities in the parameters/ concept .
bought myself a micron, just for fun, for the kids and for maximum portability recently. and being used to the a6 , it was as if i came home to a very familiar place . got an editor for free from the net ( for mac, freewar/shareware ), didn't have to use it so far. things like dualfilter+ rouing, excessive modulation possibilities + level and offset , 3 eg, tracking generator etc surely are implemented with the knowledge obtained from the andromeda.
at least that's what i presume

I think it's great
parameter resolution seems a bit less then on the a6 ( 0-100%, in steps of 1 % )
the presets are not too super good, but after some tweaking and adaptation of b.e. the velocity its sound is oke.
pity the keyboard has spiral springs instead of plate springs, thereby the action is harder.
but having said this: for 200 euros I got a good sounding synthesizer which is truly portable and looks enough like a a6 to easily find my way around.
it's so nice to simply take it in a bag , go to my guitar playing friends and just jam.
when more place in the bag, take the laptop too for the sampled instruments and just go and play. never backproblems any more, no more excuses

If Alesis was still around, perhaps that would be happening. But when Alesis went bankrupt, from what I understood, much of the people involved in the Andromeda left. So it would be a lot, lot harder to start over.

No, it could still be done. IIRC, the main PCBs (digital/voice/output) are all less than rack width (for just such an emergency). New front-panel PCBs would have to be generated and tested. The big problem would be modifying the OS to limit to less voices etc., which requires Testing. And a team. Making it a Project._________________We are selling emotions, there are no emotions in a grid. -mwagener

I worked at Numark/Alesis/Akai for a couple years. I had no connection with the creation of the Andromeda, but was proud to say I worked for the company (at least in name) that did. Myself and a fellow employee loved to plan the Andromeda's return: The A3 37-note version and A0 Rack. We had the photo-shopped images and everything. The plan was to hit up the J.O.D (Jack O'Donnell) for about 500 grand, get all the original designers back on board and pull Alesis from the fiery depths of perpetual Apple® approvals. Mind you, we were pretty low on the food-chain, and understood the prospect was ridiculous. But a couple of Alesis guys can dream, can't they? Anyway, product-idea meetings were more focused on what can be made quickly and cheaply. We brought up the idea of another analog synth - something really simple and fun (think a micron-sized Juno 106 using the ASCS:) and they were like, "whaaa?, where do you put the iPod?". The product manager wanted to make the Androme-Dock. I puked in my mouth. Have you no shame, sir? Then they discontinued the Andromeda, while I was waiting for mine no less! Fortunately, I was able to get one through a fellow employee. Doesn't have a serial number on it, but it was "made in Taiwan" - so it's not an early version or anything. Works like a dream though! There was only one Andromeda left in the Numark building when I left. A "Gold" sample that came over from Alesis in CA. It was just in a box buried underneath tons of other crap in the basement. Probably gone now. Meanwhile, they have a Fusion on display when you walk into the lobby.

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